linux-stable.git/kernel/printk/nbcon.c, branch v6.17

Merge branch 'rework/fixes' into for-linus

2025-08-04T12:18:01+00:00

printk: nbcon: Allow reacquire during panic

2025-06-17T10:10:29+00:00

If a console printer is interrupted during panic, it will never
be able to reacquire ownership in order to perform and cleanup.
That in itself is not a problem, since the non-panic CPU will
simply quiesce in an endless loop within nbcon_reacquire_nobuf().

However, in this state, platforms that do not support a true NMI
to interrupt the quiesced CPU will not be able to shutdown that
CPU from within panic(). This then causes problems for such as
being unable to load and run a kdump kernel.

Fix this by allowing non-panic CPUs to reacquire ownership using
a direct acquire. Then the non-panic CPUs can successfullyl exit
the nbcon_reacquire_nobuf() loop and the console driver can
perform any necessary cleanup. But more importantly, the CPU is
no longer quiesced and is free to process any interrupts
necessary for panic() to shutdown the CPU.

All other forms of acquire are still not allowed for non-panic
CPUs since it is safer to have them avoid gaining console
ownership that is not strictly necessary.

Reported-by: Michael Kelley 
Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/r/SN6PR02MB4157A4C5E8CB219A75263A17D46DA@SN6PR02MB4157.namprd02.prod.outlook.com
Signed-off-by: John Ogness 
Reviewed-by: Petr Mladek 
Tested-by: Michael Kelley 
Link: https://patch.msgid.link/20250606185549.900611-1-john.ogness@linutronix.de
Signed-off-by: Petr Mladek

printk: Allow to use the printk kthread immediately even for 1st nbcon

2025-06-09T14:44:01+00:00

The kthreads for nbcon consoles are created by nbcon_alloc() at
the beginning of the console registration. But it currently works
only for the 2nd or later nbcon console because the code checks
@printk_kthreads_running.

The kthread for the 1st registered nbcon console is created at the very
end of register_console() by printk_kthreads_check_locked(). As a result,
the entire log is replayed synchronously when the "enabled" message
gets printed. It might block the boot for a long time with a slow serial
console.

Prevent the synchronous flush by creating the kthread even for the 1st
nbcon console when it is safe (kthreads ready and no boot consoles).

Also inform printk() to use the kthread by setting
@printk_kthreads_running. Note that the kthreads already must be
running when it is safe and this is not the 1st nbcon console.

Symmetrically, clear @printk_kthreads_running when the last nbcon
console was unregistered by nbcon_free(). This requires updating
@have_nbcon_console before nbcon_free() gets called.

Note that there is _no_ problem when the 1st nbcon console replaces boot
consoles. In this case, the kthread will be started at the end
of registration after the boot consoles are removed. But the console
does not reply the entire log buffer in this case. Note that
the flag CON_PRINTBUFFER is always cleared when the boot consoles are
removed and vice versa.

Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20250514173514.2117832-1-mcobb@thegoodpenguin.co.uk
Tested-by: Michael Cobb 
Reviewed-by: John Ogness 
Link: https://patch.msgid.link/20250604142045.253301-1-pmladek@suse.com
Signed-off-by: Petr Mladek

printk: nbcon: Assign nice -20 for printing threads

2024-09-04T13:56:33+00:00

It is important that console printing threads are scheduled
shortly after a printk call and with generous runtime budgets.

Signed-off-by: John Ogness 
Reviewed-by: Petr Mladek 
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20240904120536.115780-17-john.ogness@linutronix.de
Signed-off-by: Petr Mladek

printk: nbcon: Show replay message on takeover

2024-09-04T13:56:32+00:00

An emergency or panic context can takeover console ownership
while the current owner was printing a printk message. The
atomic printer will re-print the message that the previous
owner was printing. However, this can look confusing to the
user and may even seem as though a message was lost.

  [3430014.1
  [3430014.181123] usb 1-2: Product: USB Audio

Add a new field @nbcon_prev_seq to struct console to track
the sequence number to print that was assigned to the previous
console owner. If this matches the sequence number to print
that the current owner is assigned, then a takeover must have
occurred. In this case, print an additional message to inform
the user that the previous message is being printed again.

  [3430014.1
  ** replaying previous printk message **
  [3430014.181123] usb 1-2: Product: USB Audio

Signed-off-by: John Ogness 
Reviewed-by: Petr Mladek 
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20240904120536.115780-12-john.ogness@linutronix.de
Signed-off-by: Petr Mladek

printk: nbcon: Rely on kthreads for normal operation

2024-09-04T13:56:32+00:00

Once the kthread is running and available
(i.e. @printk_kthreads_running is set), the kthread becomes
responsible for flushing any pending messages which are added
in NBCON_PRIO_NORMAL context. Namely the legacy
console_flush_all() and device_release() no longer flush the
console. And nbcon_atomic_flush_pending() used by
nbcon_cpu_emergency_exit() no longer flushes messages added
after the emergency messages.

The console context is safe when used by the kthread only when
one of the following conditions are true:

  1. Other caller acquires the console context with
     NBCON_PRIO_NORMAL with preemption disabled. It will
     release the context before rescheduling.

  2. Other caller acquires the console context with
     NBCON_PRIO_NORMAL under the device_lock.

  3. The kthread is the only context which acquires the console
     with NBCON_PRIO_NORMAL.

This is satisfied for all atomic printing call sites:

nbcon_legacy_emit_next_record() (#1)

nbcon_atomic_flush_pending_con() (#1)

nbcon_device_release() (#2)

It is even double guaranteed when @printk_kthreads_running
is set because then _only_ the kthread will print for
NBCON_PRIO_NORMAL. (#3)

Signed-off-by: John Ogness 
Reviewed-by: Petr Mladek 
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20240904120536.115780-10-john.ogness@linutronix.de
Signed-off-by: Petr Mladek

printk: nbcon: Use thread callback if in task context for legacy

2024-09-04T13:56:32+00:00

When printing via console_lock, the write_atomic() callback is
used for nbcon consoles. However, if it is known that the
current context is a task context, the write_thread() callback
can be used instead.

Using write_thread() instead of write_atomic() helps to reduce
large disabled preemption regions when the device_lock does not
disable preemption.

This is mainly a preparatory change to allow avoiding
write_atomic() completely during normal operation if boot
consoles are registered.

As a side-effect, it also allows consolidating the printing
code for legacy printing and the kthread printer.

Signed-off-by: John Ogness 
Reviewed-by: Petr Mladek 
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20240904120536.115780-9-john.ogness@linutronix.de
Signed-off-by: Petr Mladek

printk: nbcon: Relocate nbcon_atomic_emit_one()

2024-09-04T13:56:32+00:00

Move nbcon_atomic_emit_one() so that it can be used by
nbcon_kthread_func() in a follow-up commit.

Signed-off-by: John Ogness 
Reviewed-by: Petr Mladek 
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20240904120536.115780-8-john.ogness@linutronix.de
Signed-off-by: Petr Mladek

printk: nbcon: Introduce printer kthreads

2024-09-04T13:56:32+00:00

Provide the main implementation for running a printer kthread
per nbcon console that is takeover/handover aware. This
includes:

- new mandatory write_thread() callback
- kthread creation
- kthread main printing loop
- kthread wakeup mechanism
- kthread shutdown

kthread creation is a bit tricky because consoles may register
before kthreads can be created. In such cases, registration
will succeed, even though no kthread exists. Once kthreads can
be created, an early_initcall will set @printk_kthreads_ready.
If there are no registered boot consoles, the early_initcall
creates the kthreads for all registered nbcon consoles. If
kthread creation fails, the related console is unregistered.

If there are registered boot consoles when
@printk_kthreads_ready is set, no kthreads are created until
the final boot console unregisters.

Once kthread creation finally occurs, @printk_kthreads_running
is set so that the system knows kthreads are available for all
registered nbcon consoles.

If @printk_kthreads_running is already set when the console
is registering, the kthread is created during registration. If
kthread creation fails, the registration will fail.

Until @printk_kthreads_running is set, console printing occurs
directly via the console_lock.

kthread shutdown on system shutdown/reboot is necessary to
ensure the printer kthreads finish their printing so that the
system can cleanly transition back to direct printing via the
console_lock in order to reliably push out the final
shutdown/reboot messages. @printk_kthreads_running is cleared
before shutting down the individual kthreads.

The kthread uses a new mandatory write_thread() callback that
is called with both device_lock() and the console context
acquired.

The console ownership handling is necessary for synchronization
against write_atomic() which is synchronized only via the
console context ownership.

The device_lock() serializes acquiring the console context with
NBCON_PRIO_NORMAL. It is needed in case the device_lock() does
not disable preemption. It prevents the following race:

CPU0				CPU1

 [ task A ]

 nbcon_context_try_acquire()
   # success with NORMAL prio
   # .unsafe == false;  // safe for takeover

 [ schedule: task A -> B ]

				WARN_ON()
				  nbcon_atomic_flush_pending()
				    nbcon_context_try_acquire()
				      # success with EMERGENCY prio

				      # flushing
				      nbcon_context_release()

				      # HERE: con->nbcon_state is free
				      #       to take by anyone !!!

 nbcon_context_try_acquire()
   # success with NORMAL prio [ task B ]

 [ schedule: task B -> A ]

 nbcon_enter_unsafe()
   nbcon_context_can_proceed()

BUG: nbcon_context_can_proceed() returns "true" because
     the console is owned by a context on CPU0 with
     NBCON_PRIO_NORMAL.

     But it should return "false". The console is owned
     by a context from task B and we do the check
     in a context from task A.

Note that with these changes, the printer kthreads do not yet
take over full responsibility for nbcon printing during normal
operation. These changes only focus on the lifecycle of the
kthreads.

Co-developed-by: John Ogness 
Signed-off-by: John Ogness 
Signed-off-by: Thomas Gleixner (Intel) 
Reviewed-by: Petr Mladek 
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20240904120536.115780-7-john.ogness@linutronix.de
Signed-off-by: Petr Mladek

printk: nbcon: Init @nbcon_seq to highest possible

2024-09-04T13:56:32+00:00

When initializing an nbcon console, have nbcon_alloc() set
@nbcon_seq to the highest possible sequence number. For all
practical purposes, this will guarantee that the console
will have nothing to print until later when @nbcon_seq is
set to the proper initial printing value.

This will be particularly important once kthread printing is
introduced because nbcon_alloc() can create/start the kthread
before the desired initial sequence number is known.

Signed-off-by: John Ogness 
Reviewed-by: Petr Mladek 
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20240904120536.115780-6-john.ogness@linutronix.de
Signed-off-by: Petr Mladek